Meet the Bennetts
by TheClownPrincessOfCrime
Summary: Tommy & Dil meet their Cousin Sophie, Uncle Leo & Aunt Rosey from Australia. The kids' imaginations run wild after meeting this wild bunch! *This is an updated version of my old story!* Please R&R! Thank you! :


****Disclaimer** I don't own Rugrats, but I do own my OC's. This is an updated version of my previous story, but it will remain just a 1 Chapter story like most of my fics are. :) ALL my Rugrats stories are getting drastic make-overs, so I hope you'll enjoy it! Please review, I'd love that!**

* * *

It was a quiet morning in the Pickles' household, which was something that came rarely. Usually there were scores of other babies running around, laughing, and carrying-on all around the house like a daycare center. But not this morning. Not this week. This particular week was going to be quiet, peaceful, and tranquil.

Tommy Pickles, the bold, the brave, the...bald one-year old sat in his highchair next to his younger, babbling brother Dil. Their father, Stu, sat, fully clothed from head-to-toe in a bright orange raincoat carefully feeding Dil from a bowl filled with bubbly brown mush. Stu knew better than to dress in anything different, for Dil was known to be just a bit on the messy side, like any infant should be. This proved to be true after every second bite was followed with a gurgling volcano of mush spewing from his mouth right onto Stu's raincoat. Meanwhile, Tommy was licking butter off of a crunchy piece of toast. He planned to save his toast to share with his two dogs, Spike and Spiffy, unbeknownst to his parents, of course. Their mother Didi was standing in front of the sink, up to her elbows in dish soap, trying to conquer the piles of dishes which had accumilated there. Didi definitely had her hands full with her trio of men, but she didn't mind a bit.

Just as she stuck her hands in and began scrubbing a cassarole pan, the phone rang loudly. "Oh, Stu honey, could you..." Didi began, glancing behind her at her husband. She had intended on asking him if he could answer the phone, but watching him humerously struggle to dodge "mush rockets" from Dil, she decided against it, and dried her hands on a dish towel before she picked up the phone. "Hello, Pickles residence." She paused for a minute, her eyes narrowing. "Uh...yes, I think our refridgerator is running. I can check in just a..." Didi didn't finish her sentence, because after a split second, she burst into a huge grin. "Oh, I just _knew_ it! I can't _believe_ you got me!" Didi's expression suddenly turned energetic, and she became as happy as a lark. "It's _so_ good to hear from you, Leo! How is everybody? It's been such a long time!"

Stu stopped feeding the tiny food splurter known as Dil and looked at Tommy with a huge grin on his face. "Hey there, champ. Sounds like it's your Uncle Leo on the phone!"

Tommy stopped, mid-lick, gasping at such news. He had absolutely no idea what his father was talking about.

"Oh, really? _Really_?" Didi gasped. "Oh, that is amazing news! Congratulations!" Didi paused again, and her eyes widened as she listened. "Oh, what a silly thing to ask, honey. You know we'd be more than happy to do it. It'll be great for Tommy to see his cousin, again. They were both so little the last time they met!"

Tommy hadn't seen his mother this happy in a really long time, and the curiousity was overwhelming to him, especially the part about his cousin. He was in _no_mood to see Angelica at that moment, that was for sure.

"Alright, well, we'll look forward to seeing you in a few days. We'll all be anxiously waiting! Have a great night, and say hello to the girls for us!" Didi hung up the phone with a smile on her face.

"Come on, Deed. You look like you're about to burst. Share the good news, will ya?" Stu teased.

"Oh Stu, this is just wonderful, _wonderful_ news! Leo's just told me that he and Rosey have been chosen to photograph a special issue of "_Wild Adventures Magazine_." An entire issue, on location in exotic places, basically the highest honor they could possible get!" Didi blurted.

Tommy looked back and forth between his parents, wide-eyed.

"Really, Deed? That's great! But, what are they gonna do about Sophie? Surely they're not gonna drag her around with them, are they?" Stu remarked.

"That's probably the best part, honey. She's going to come here and stay with us, until Leo and Rosey get back from the job," Didi said, sitting down next to Tommy, grinning. "Sweetheart, your cousin Sophie, and your aunt Rosey and uncle Leo are coming for a visit in just a few days! Isn't that so _exciting_?"

Tommy gasped and dropped his toast onto the ground, much to the enjoyment of Spiffy, who was ready and waiting for just such an action.

* * *

A few days later, Tommy stood surrounded by his friends, his face bursting with urgency. Since he hadn't seen any of his friends - Chuckie and Kimi Finster or Phil and Lil Deville since hearing the news, he hadn't been able to share his news until then. Now, upon tellling his friends what he'd learned, the rest of the babies shared his shock.

"Yeah, you guys. My mommy said my aunt, and my uncle, and my cousin are gonna be coming _here_! To my house!" Tommy cried, throwing his hands up into the air. "I mean, I never even metted them 'afore!"

"Oh, _no_, Tommy. Angelica's your cousin, too. Does that mean your _other_ cousin is gonna be like her?" Chuckie asked, trembling. He covered his eyes with his hands. "I can't take another Angelica around here!"

"Come on, Chuckie. Maybe she's gonna be nice. We don't knows nothing, yet!" Kimi said gently, putting her hand on her brother's shoulder. She was used to conforting her always-afraid sibling.

"Uh, I think Chuckie's right, Tommy. I gots a bad feeling about this," said Phil, nodding his head. "I don't trust no cousins of yours!"

Kimi frowned. "_Phil_! You're not helping!"

"Kimbi's right, Philip. We just gotsta wait and see," said Lil, rolling her eyes at her twin brother. "You boyses always overreact to _everything_!"

Tommy sighed and looked towards his house, nervously. "Uh, I hope you guys are right. But, you know...my mommy was _really_ happy to talk to my uncle...uncle Leo, so maybe everything's gonna be okay."

Suddenly, Stu dashed outside, a huge smile on his face. He reached inside the playpen and picked Tommy and Dil up into his arms. "Guess what, boys? We've got company!"

The doorbell rang loudly, and all the babies gasped in unison. It was time.

"They're finally here! Let's go!" Stu cried enthusiastically to Tommy, unaware that Tommy's face was far from enthusiastic.

Tommy glanced back nervously at his friends, and covered his eyes as Stu walked into the house. Since Chuckie was Tommy's best friend, he'd had many chances to observe what a scared baby looked like, and at that time, it's exactly what Tommy was feeling. Tommy kept his eyes closed even as he heard voices in what was obviously the living room.

"Oh, Didi! It's so great to see you!" cried Tommy's uncle Leo, in his gentle Australian-accented voice.

Curiosity got the better of Tommy, and he slowly uncovered one of his eyes. He saw Didi hugging his uncle almost as tightly as seemingly possible. Leo was young, with wavy blonde hair, bright, friendly eyes, and an even brighter friendly smile. He was wearing a T-Shirt with the letters, "WAM" written on it, khaki shorts, and hiking boots.

Tommy still kept one of his eyes covered just for good measure. He noticed Leo turn and face them, still grinning widely."And Stu! Wow, you look great!" He reached in to give Stu a hug also, making Tommy gasp just a little.

Suddenly, Leo stopped smiling and turned serious as she stared at Tommy. Tommy's heart beat faster. "Oh my word! This handsome fellow _cannot_ be my little peanut Tommy, can it? It's just not possible, no way!"

Tommy smiled as he listened to his uncle's infectious laugh, his nerves subsiding almost instantly. He uncovered his other eye and giggled. Leo gently took Tommy for a hug. "He's growing up like a beanstalk, you guys! Why, he was no bigger than my thumb the last time I saw him! And now look at this ogre you've got here!"

Tommy couldn't help but giggle loudly as Leo tossed him up into the air and caught him again. For all Tommy was concerned, his uncle could stay forever! Dil sputtered, annoyed that his brother was getting all the attention. It was something Dil wasn't used to, and he didn't like one bit.

Leo glanced at Dil with a smile. "And _you_, my good friend, have _got_ to be Spike. You havent changed a bit! You're a little more slobbery than I last remember, but I guess these things happen."

Tommy giggled again at the silliness of his uncle. He wished his friends could hear how funny he was.

"Well, this little monster is Dylan. Dil, meet your uncle Leo," said Stu, passing along the drool-monster to his brother-in-law.

Dil babbled happily once he reached Leo's hands, almost as if his sputters were an actual greeting. "Well, it's my pleasure too, young man," Leo said. "I've heard a lot about you. Better keep a close eye on this one, you guys. I smell trouble." As if on cue, Dil's face turned bright red and he grunted. This time, the sputtering noises came from his rear-end. Leo gasped and burst out laughing. "Oh, you meant that literally, did ya, little mate?"

Suddenly, a pretty young woman entered the house, carrying a small blue suitcase covered with pictures of multi-colored toadstools on the outside. "Well hey there, everybody!" she said, grinning from ear to ear. The woman had long wavy blonde hair, which had been pulled back halfway with two clips. Around her neck was a tiny necklace shaped like a red toadstool, which matched her dangling toadstool earrings. She wore a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, and a knee lengthed wavy khaki clolored skirt.

"Rosey!" Didi cried, hugging her baby half-sister in a bone-crunching embrace. "It's so great to see you! I've missed you terribly!"

Tommy smiled at his aunt, who had a soft, gentle voice. To him, she seemed like someone whom everyone liked from the get-go.

"You too, big sis. I missed you more than ever! The time passes way too quickly, that's for sure," Rosey said, her American accent slightly altered afer living in Australia for as long as she had been. She glanced at Stu, grinning. "Hey there, brother-in-law!" She gave him a hug as well. "Still working on those great inventions of yours, are ya? I tell everybody back home about how my clever brother-in-law already sent some of his toys over to our neck of the woods, so they had better remember your name!"

Stu beamed with pride as he listened to his sister-in-law speak so highly of him. He wasn't going to stop her. He figured she could continue as long as she wanted. Unfortunately for his ego, Rosey spotted the two babies her husband was holding, and her attention went elsewhere.

Rosey gasped suddenly. "Oh, my goodness, Leo! Who on earth do you have, here? Is this...is this my sweet little Tommy? That _can't_ be him, can it?"

Tommy eagerly held out his hands to Rosey with a smile on his face. Rosey took him into her arms and kissed his forehead gently and hugged him tightly. "Oh, I missed the cutest, sweetest little nephew anybody ever had!" Tommy giggled as she kissed his cheek and turned him towards her. " Do you know, the _last_ time I saw you, you tried to shove your binkie into my mouth every time I held you?"

Tommy giggled again, imagining such a scenario.

"Well, now we got ourselves _another_ binkie monster," Leo said, as Dil took his binkie out of his mouth and waved it at Rosey and babbled. "And another poopie monster, actually."

Rosey laughed heartily and took Dil into her arms, poopie and all. "Oh, Dil, thank you! I think I'll let you keep your binkie though, alright? I think you need it more than me!" She giggled and hugged the two boys tightly. "I'm _so_ glad to see you little guys!"

"Hey, speaking of little things…where's that cheeky little koala bear of ours? Is she hiding, again?" Leo asked, glancing out the window. "I figured she'd be hiding."

Rosey smiled. "She's just a little shy, you know that. Just wait a minute, and she'll come inside."

Tommy put his finger to his mouth curiously, as Rosey put him down onto the ground. In all the commotion, he had actually forgotten about the one member of the family who had yet to show herself. Tommy walked towards the front door and looked outside. His eyes caught a glimpse of another child, but the moment he laid eyes on her, she gasped and hid behind the door frame once more.

Tommy was determined to see just who was out there, so he waited for a moment before he peeked out, again. Just as he did that, his cousin Sophie did the same, and they both touched noses as he peered out and she peered in. This caused them both to giggle in spite of themselves. Tommy stepped back inside to reveal his cousin.

She was an adorable little girl with two blonde braided pigtails sticking out from under a peacock blue colored fishing hat with a pink and white spotted toadstool on the middle. She had a little pudgy nose like her mother, with three dotted freckles on her rosey cheeks. Her big, almond-like shaped eyes were complete with long lashes. Her dress was the same vibrant peacock blue color as her hat, on top of a light-pink short sleeved t-shirt. In the middle of her dress was a larger picture of a toadstool like her hat, cleary, this was a favorite of hers. On her legs were brightly colored rainbow printed tights and soft brown boots. Sophie was just as timid as could be, and her finger stayed on her lip as she nervously glanced around her.

Tommy held out his hand slowly and reassuringly. Sophie smiled at him after a moment and took his hand, her fears easing.

"Sweetie, this is your cousin Tommy. You met each other when you were so tiny, but you were still such great friends," Didi said gently, bending down to their level. "And we're your aunt Didi, uncle Stu, and baby cousin Dil."

Sophie smiled at Didi and hugged her tightly after a second. Sophie was very shy, but loved hugs and gave them out as many chances as she got.

"Oh, she's still just a sweet as she was before, isn't she?" Didi said, squeezing Sophie back.

"You bet. Of course, everybody says it about their own kids, but this little one has gotta be the sweetest they come. Never fusses, never cries, and she's extremely even tempered all the time!" Rosey said, grinning. "We wonder where she gets it from!"

Leo laughed. "Well, I'd say she kinda reminds me of her mother, don't you think, honey? Sophie might have gotten my eyes, but everything else about her, she got from you."

"Oh, you mean, like my coordination and luck, right?" Rosey grinned at the obvious joke.

"That, and the fact that she gets into about as much mischief on a regular basis as _you_ manage to do," Leo smiled.

"Oh, then it definitely runs in our family . It sounds a little like Tommy. Please, elaborate," said Stu, grinning.

"Well, to put it lightly, a barrell full of monkeys are nothing compared to my little girl," Leo said, picking Sophie up. "She's got a tendency to knock things over, accidentally break things, animals seem to be let out of their cages when she's around, and we've been banned from a few retail markets in Sydney. Basically, trouble magically seems to be in the same spot as her."

"Hey, then she'll fit right in around here. Tommy's the same, arent you, champ?" said Stu, beaming at his son. He was relieved that it wasn't only his kid in the family who had trouble following him around.

"That's my little nephew," Leo said, scooping Tommy up in his arms as well. " I'll bet you can show Sophie the ropes around here. Next time, I expect to see _you_ in Australia to visit us, then _she_ can show you just how much mischief she can manage to get into at home. But, it's like I always tell Sophie, sometimes, a baby's just gotta do what a baby's gotta do."

Tommy and Sophie both giggled.

"Oh, Leo, _please_ don't encourage them!" Rosey said, rolling her eyes with a smile. "They're already cousins, imagine the trouble they could get into when they're _together_!"

Didi smiled. "It's nothing we can't handle, don't worry. We've had out share of mishaps. We're seasoned pros!"

Leo smiled. "Come on, now, Rosey. Where's your sense of adventure?"

Rosey laughed. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's waiting in the Amazon for me to go and find it? I have to save all my energy for that!"

Didi smiled. "I _still_ can't believe the news! It's so exciting that you two are going to be photographing in the amazon for so long. An entire issue of Wildlife Adventures Magazine! I called everyone I know and bragged about it."

Leo grinned and pulled out a magazine from inside his vest pocket. "Yeah, we've got this framed at home!"

Leo showed the magazine to everyone with pride. It was the magazine which Rosey and Leo were employed, _Wild Adventures Magazine_. The cover showed Rosey and Leo standing together under a tree full of koalas. Sophie was in Rosey's arms, and a baby koala is hugging Leo. They both have black cameras hanging from their necks. The caption on the cover reads: Coming soon! Special edition from two of our top photographers, Leonardo and Rosalie Bennett, pictured here with 1.5 year old daughter Sophie. The pair will travel to the remote areas of the amazon rainforest and capture spectacular wildlife in their natural habitats. Look for "Amazing Amazon", coming soon!

Tommy gaped at the magazine in awe. He couldn't read yet, but by the looks of it, his aunt and uncle were just about as famous as Reptar, and he couldn't believe it. Leo put Tommy down and gave him the magazine to hold. Tommy held onto it as if it were as valuable as gold. To Tommy, though, it_ was._

Rosey sighed and took Sophie into her arms. "I just wish we could take Sophie with us this time. It's gonna be the first time we've worked without her. The first time we've been apart. You couldn't imagine the amount of times I tried to make it work in my head, but it just never could. Not even with my idea of a rocket-powered playpen."

Sophie frowned and layed her head on Rosey's chest, sucking her thumb, as she often did. This was the part Sophie wasn't looking forward to at all, and she didn't want to be away from her parents.

"We're _really_ sorry, sweetie," Leo said, rubbing Sophie's cheeks. "But you know we can't take you with us. It's _way_ too dangerous for a baby."

Sophie took her thumb out of her mouth and frowned. She crossed her arms over her chest, angrily. She wasn't a scardy-cat (not _all_ the time, anyway,) and she took offense that her father must have thought so.

Leo smiled at the obvious change in his daughter. "Hey, come on, sweetcheeks. You're still our cuddly little koala baby, aren't you?"

In response, Sophie curled her fingers like claws, held them up next to her face, and growled angrily. "_Rawr, rawr_!"

Rosey laughed and kissed Sophie's cheek. "I guess that answers your question, honey. She's not a cuddly koala bear anymore. I think she's a big, ferocious tiger, now."

"Well, do I at least get a big ferocious smile, hm?" Leo asked, putting on a sad face and sticking out his bottom lip.

Sophie dropped her eyes into the meanest scowl she could conjure up. This caused Leo to burst out laughing.

"Oh, is that right? Well, I'll show you what happens to cheeky little tigers!" Leo quickly grabbed Sophie into his arms and started tickling her, making her shriek and giggle.

Sophie couldn't stay angry for long after that, but she still wasn't happy about their situation.

Rosey sighed, heavily. "I just wish the assignment wasn't so long. I mean, we're honored and grateful for it, but, I just have a…"

Suddenly, they heared a loud sneeze coming from the other room. Rosey gasped as she turned around. The rest of the babies had escaped from the backyard playpen and had crept inside, wanting to catch a peek at Tommy and Dil's dreaded relatives.

"My goodness, Deed! You guys sure have been busy since the last time we saw you!" Leo said with a wink.

"Oh, no. These are our friends' kids," Stu said, quickly. "We've got Phil and Lil, the twins, Chuckie, and his sister Kimi. They regularly join us over here."

Rosey smiled and bent down to their level as they slowly walked over to them. "Hello, you guys. Well, aren't you just the cutest bunch of babies I've ever seen! I'm Rosey, Tommy and Dil's aunt. This is their uncle Leo, and my daughter, Sophie."

Sophie put her thumb in her mouth shyly, as Leo put her on the ground. Sophie was always shy around meeting new people, but once she was comfortable around them, she was a totally different baby.

The other babies smiled at her, warmly. Kimi was the bravest, and slowly walked over to Sophie. Kimi reached inside the pocket of her dress and pulled out a pink sticker which was shaped like a heart. She gave it to Sophie, kind of like a welcome gift. Sophie took her thumb out of her mouth and reached inside her hat. She pulled out a fred lower she had picked from her backyard the day before. She gave the flower to Kimi, as a thank you gift.

"Well, would ya look at that!" Leo said. "I see two little best friends in the making, don't you? Why, I'll bet six solid months of these little sweeties spending time together, and we'll have to pry them apart when she moves back to Australia."

"Wow! You're from Australeea?" Angelica said, coming from the kitchen. Her blonde pigtails bounced with excitement. "That's really neat! Do you see lots of polar bears there?"

"No, Angelica," said Susie, walking into the living room behind her. "There aren't _polar bears_ in Australia. They gots too warm of a climate! The polar bears would melt!"

"And who are you two little angels?" Rosey asked, her mind spinning with so many children.

"I'm Susie Carmicheal. I live down the street," Susie said, sticking her hand out for a shake.

"Well, more importantly, _I'm_ Angelica. I'm Tommy and Dil's cousin," Angelica said, jumping in front of Susie. "They're _so_ lucky to have me."

"Wonderful to meet you two beautiful ladies," said Leo with a smile. "This little darling is Sophie. She's Tommy and Dil's cousin, too, and she's gonna be staying here for awhile so Rosey and I can take pictures of wild animals in the jungle!"

Angelica and Susie gasped loudly. "_Whoa!_"

"Do you guys gots a hard job to do?" Susie asked, wide-eyed. "I like taking pictures too, but I might get a little scared sometimes, _'specially_ in the jungle!"

"Come to think of it, I _do_ remember last year, when Rosey and I were shooting zebras in Zimbabwe, everything was fine, when suddenly, we saw a _huge_ lion and a lioness!"

The babies all gasped in fright. Leo sat down on the floor with Tommy in his lap, and the other babies sat down in a circle around him like students in a classroom. Rosey sat down too, holding Kimi and Sophie in her lap.

"Do you know what a lion says, girls?" Leo asked them with a grin.

Sophie and Kimi looked at each other and grinned, too. "_Rooooooar_!"

"_Right_! And lemme tell ya, this lion was _enormous_!" Leo cried, holding his hands up. "Actually, he had hair kinda like you, Chuckie!"

Leo ruffled Chuckie's hair, and he giggled, shyly.

"Weren't you 'ascared of two big huge lions?" Angelica gasped.

"We were _terrified_!" Rosey said.

The babies gasped again, unsure of where the story was going.

"What did you _do_, Mr. Leo?" Susie asked, her eyes wide.

"Well, we did what any good wildlife photgrapher would do in a situation like that," Leo said, taking a deep dramatic breath.

"We took their picture!" Rosey cried, and the babies laughed loudly.

"Do you guys wanna see it?" Leo asked, reaching inside his vest pocket and pulling out a picture. He put the photo in the middle of the circle, and all the babies gasped once more. Much to everyone's delight, the lion actually_ did_ have wild hair like Chuckie.

"We think their names were Phil and Lil," said Rosey with a wink, pointing to the lion and lioness in the photo.

"I'll bet you guys don't wanna see more picture of our adventures, do you?" Leo asked, grinning.

"Are you joking? _'Acourse_ we do!" Angelica said excitedly.

Leo grinned and pulled out many more pictures and dropped them into a pile in the middle of the cirlce. The babies giggled and each took a picture to look at. Kimi excitedly ran to get one, too. Sophie stood up, but then hesitated. After a moment, she decided against it, much more satisfied to be in her mother's lap than run after a photograph. She put her thumb in her mouth and sat back down in Rosey's lap, leaning againts her.

Rosey picked up a picture of a giant panda which was near them. "Now, let me tell you guys about the time we were in China taking pictures of the giant pandas, when suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge black snake came slithering out of the bushes, and came straight for us!"

Chuckie covered his eyes in fright.

"Don't worry, Chuckie," Leo said. "Because you know what?"

Chuckie slowly uncovered his eyes.

"She just was looking for her kids! If I remember correctly, she had three of them. I think she said their names were Susie, Angelica, and Kimi."

The girls giggled, and Kimi ran to Leo with the picture she held in her hand, eager for the next wild story.

"Oh, Kimi, you wanna hear about the time we were taking pictures of the puffins in Iceland?" Leo said, grinning.

Kimi giggled and ran back to Rosey's lap. Leo reached out and pulled Phil and Lil closer to him.

"Well, it was _so_ cold at that time, that even our _hair_ was frozen!" Rosey said.

The babies gasped again. "But, as we turned a corner on one of the snow banks, we saw thousands of little puffins playing! So, we took our-" Leo began.

Suddenly a car horn honked from outside, startling everyone, who were all engrossed in each riviting story Leo and Rosey had been telling.

"Oh, dear. That sounds like our taxi," said Rosey, standing up, slowly. She still held Sophie in her arms, dreading the inevitable.

The babies all frowned, sad that their exciting story time was getting cut short.

"Oh, do you _hafta_ go?" Susie said. "You guys are the neatest grown-ups _ever_!"

Leo laughed. "Thank you, Susie. And you guys are the neatest bunch of kids ever!"

"But, don't worry, everybody. We'll make sure to send you guys pictures and presents, okay?" Rosey said, smiling a little. She knew the fastest way to kid's hearts was through presents.

"Presents?" Angelica gasped, proving Rosey's hypothosis to be true. "Sounds alright to me!"

Rosey smiled. "It's a deal then."

Sophie's thumb was still in her mouth as she hugged Rosey's neck tightly. Sophie thought that maybe if she held on tight enough, her parents wouldn't leave, and they could just all stay together.

"Oh sweetie, we'll only be gone six months, okay? You're going to have so much fun with everyone!" said Rosey, unsure if she was reassuring her daughter, or herself.

"And here, look, honey, we got you a little something," Leo said, walking over to Sophie's little suitcase.

Rosey put Sophie down, and she walked over to Leo, curiously. This was something she hadn't been expecting, that was for sure. Leo grinned and unzipped the suitcase, revealing a fuzzy white bunny. Its ears were long and floppy, and it had big multi-colored spots all over its grinned and slowly took the rabbit, her eyes wide. It was the softest, furriest stuffed animal she' d ever owne. It reminded her of the chinchilla she and her parents once held.

"We got her for you when we went on our last trip," Leo said, smiling as Sophie hugged the rabbit tightly. "We thought you'd like her. It was a little secret."

Sophie ran to Leo and hugged him, not ever wanting to let go.

"Oh, I'm gonna to miss my cuddly little koala," Leo said, kissing her cheek and squeezing her tightly.

"We love you so much, sweetie, and now, you can keep your little Sprinkles bunny, and we'll never be far away, right?" Rosey said, taking Sophie into her arms and kissing her also.

The taxi honked again, this time, twice.

"Impatient, aren't they?" Leo said, shaking his head and smiling a little.

The babies and Stu and Didi crowded around the living room, each hugging Rosey and Leo in turn.

"Tommy, my sweet little boy, you'll look after Sophie, right?" Rosey aid, kissing the end of his nose.

"That's right, little man. I trust you to help her out, okay?" Leo said, giving Tommy a tight squeeze.

Tommy took what his uncle said to heart, and he vowed to help Sophie just as much as he could while they were away. He took jobs like that very seriously.

"Boy, what a send off we're getting, ay?" Leo grinned and laughed. "I can't wait to see how big everybody's gotten when we get back!"

Sophie stood in the middle of the circle of babies with her thumb in her mouth, clutching Sprinkles by one of its long, floppy ears. Tears slowly started forming in her eyes, and she brushed them away with Sprinkle's ear.

"Oh, come on, sweetie," Leo said, giving her a sad smile, and bending down to her level. "We'll see you again real soon, right?"

"You don't have to worry, honey. Look at all the new friends you have, already! So, please don't cry, and give us one last goodbye hug, okay?" Rosey asked, smiling gently also.

Sophie didn't move, she just shook her head back and forth.

"_Really_?" Leo asked, giving her a sly smile and kneeling on one knee.

Sophie immediately stopped crying and removed her thumb out of her mouth, giggled, and tried to run away. But Leo was too fast, and grabbed her around her waist and tickled her stomach again as he pulled her into his arms. Her father always knew her weakness. He stood up, and both he and Rosey hugged Sophie tightly. They each kissed her cheek, then kissed the end of Sophie's nose.

Rosey put Sophie on the ground one last time. "We love you so much, sweetheart. We'll see you soon."

Everyone waved goodbye as Leo and Rosey headed out the door, finally. They knew if they didn't leave at that moment, they probably never would.

Tommy gently took Sophie's hand in his, as they sadly watched them go. Tommy had just "met" his aunt and uncle, but his heart ached that they were leaving. He loved them almost as much as his own parents, and he was very sad to see them go.

"Bye, Mister Leo, Bye, Miss Rosey!" Susie called, excitedly.

"Bring us back _lots_ of presents! Don't forget to write!" Angelica called after her.

"Bye, everyone!" Leo said, as they climbed into the taxi.

Sophie and Tommy waved solemnly as the taxi drove off, neither one of them able to smile a bit.

Susie grinned excitedly. "I'm gonna go back to my house and see if they sent us a email! Come on, Angelica! Bye, Mister Pickles. Bye, Misses Pickles!"

Angelica and Susie ran off in a flash anxious to see if they had an email, yet. Didi closed the door and turned to the sad babies. "Come on now, everybody. You can show Sophie the backyard, and I'll make a snack for you, okay?" She said, ushering the kids towards the yard. She also wanted to get her mind of her sadness and welcomed the task.

Sophie still gripped Tommy's hand tightly, and dragged Sprinkles along by its ear. She already felt a bond with her cousin for which she was thankful for.

"Boy, Sophie, you're mommy and daddy sure are fun!" Lil said, the moment they were in the backyard again.

"Yeah, they're the most funniest growned-ups ever!" Chuckie said with a giggle.

"Yeah, I bet they're so much fun all the time!" Kimi cried.

"With lots of neat stories and everything!" added Phil.

Sophie turned to Tommy, finally having a chance to speak. "I...I'm really glad I could come and visit, Tommy," she said in her quiet voice, "but I _really_ miss my mommy and daddy."

"Oh, it's okay, Sophie. I know you miss them a lot, but we wont let you miss them _too_ much, right, you guys?" Tommy said, gently.

"_Yeah_! You can play with me, Sophie!" Kimi said, eagerly. "We'll be the bestest of friends in the whole wild world, I just knows it! And _look_!" Kimi took Superthing, her favorite toy out of her pocket. "Superthing needs a bestest friend too! He can be friends with your Sprinkles bunny!"

Sophie smiled a little and hugged Sprinkles again. "Well, I _do_need a bestest friend when we're gonna be here. And Sprinkle's needs one, too."

"Hooray!" said Kimi, excitedly. "We can play in the sandbox, we can play adventures...we can play a _bazillion _games!"

Sophie smiled at Kimi and took her hand. "Okay, let's go!"

The babies giggled and ran off together ready to begin their adventures.

Didi looked at the babies through the window, smiling happily. "Oh, Stu, she fits in already."

Stu grinned. "No doubt about it, Deed. She'll be fine. With our little bunch of rugrats, she'll fit right in."

The doorbell rang just then, startling the both of them.

"Oh, that's the Finster's and the Deville's. Stu honey, get the door, please," Didi said, as she finished preparing the tray of snacks for the babies. "I'll just run these out for the kids."

Didi carried the tray of tiny plates full of carrots and cookies outside. "Come on, kids. Snack time!" She placed the tray down on a huge blanket, and wondered if Rosey and Leo had the same method for luring out wild animals. Sophie and Kimi came over hand-in-hand and sat down next to each other on the blankey. Clearly, their best friendship was already set in both took a plate of snacks, and a green box of juice.

"Well, who do we have here?" Chas asked, as he, Kira, Betty and Howard appeared in the backyard.

Chuckie grinned happily when he saw his dad and jumped up, only to spill his plate of snacks in a tiny mud puddle. Chuckie gasped and groaned, seeing his beloved cookies now a soggy, dirty mess. His eyes filled with tears at the thought of the unfairness that the other kids would have cookies and not himself. Kimi had already stuffed her face with most of her cookies, so there was so chance she was sharing her last one, not even with the brother whom she loved dearly. Sophie gasped after seeing Chuckie's face, and quickly and grabbed all three of her cookies. She smiled and handed them to Chuckie, who giggled happily. Sophie liked cookies for sure, but the thought of her new friend being happy was more important to her than eating them herself.

"Well, this is my niece, Sophie, everyone. And as you can see, she's already making a lot of new friends," Didi said, smiling, as Sophie and Kimi played with Superthing and Sprinkles together.

"Well, hello, Sophie," said Kira, bending down. "I'm Kira, Chuckie and Kimi's mommy. It's so very nice to meet you."

Sophie smiled, stood up, and hugged Kira tightly, as a form of greeting. Sophie felt much more brave and secure with Tommy nearby. She wasn't nearly as shy and quiet as she normally would have been.

"Oh, my, what a lovely little girl!" Kira said, hugging her back. "I can see she'll get along great with the other babies, don't you think?"

Kimi giggled in response, and Sophie hugged her tightly, also.

"Well, I guess _that_ answers your question!" Betty said. "It's almost like a missing peice to a puzzle."

"Well, come on, you two, it's time to go home," Chas said, taking Chuckie's hand after a moment.

Sophie and Kimi frowned, clearly not wanting to be seperated so soon.

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart. They'll come back again," Didi said, seeing Sophie's disappointed face. "You'll have plenty of chances to see everyone again, I promise."

Sophie grinned and hugged Kimi again, then hugged Chuckie before they could leave.

"We better be going too," Howard said to Phil and Lil. He had a cake in the oven and worried about it, so the sooner they left, the better.

Without missing a beat, Sophie hugged Phil and Lil both at once. She liked her new friends so much, and she was so happy she'd met them.

"We'll see you guys later," Betty said as she and her family left.

"Bye!" said Chas and Kira, as Chuckie and Kimi waved excitedly.

"Now, come on, you two. Let's go inside and help Sophie unpack, okay?" Didi said, smiling at to Tommy and Sophie. "That'll be fun, won't it? Sophie's gonna be staying in your room, Tommy. Daddy's already set up the crib we borrowed."

Tommy and Sophie took each other's hands and ran inside, excitedly. Sophie couldn't believe she was going to share a room with one of her favorite people ever. As much as she dreaded coming there, it was turning out to be one adventure after another.

* * *

Sophie and Tommy sat playing together a week later. Dil was babbling and gurgling in his carseat. He had enjoyed having Sophie share his room, too, and had gurgled and babbled even more than usual.

"So...what _does_ happen if you flush them down the potty?" Sophie asked, curiously.

"I dunno. I never tried it 'afore," Tommy said, sheepishly.

"Well, so maybe we can try it! We can get some apples from the kitchen. I'll bet ya we can put a _hundred_ of them in the potty!" Sophie said, excitedly.

"Hey yeah, that's a _great_idea!" Tommy said, giggling.

It was clear that the two babies fit well with each other, each of them had found more ways to cause mischief, just as their respective fathers had thought all along.

"Oh, kids! You got an email from Rosey and Leo!" Didi said, waving a piece of paper in the air and coming into the room. "Isn't that exciting?"

Sophie and Tommy looked at each other, grinning. Their apple idea was put on hold. For the time being, anyway. Didi walked over to the playpen and unhooked it, lifting the two of them out and sitting down on the sofa with the letter. Sophie and Tommy gasped at the paper, seeing a wonderful picture of Rosey and Leo standing in front of a huge waterfall in the middle of the jungle.

"Dear Sophie, Tommy, and Dil," Didi read, as Dil giggled and sputtered upon hearing his name. "We've only been gone for a week, but it seems like much longer than that because we love you all so much."

Sophie and Tommy imagined Leo's voice reading the email.

"We miss you guys so much, but look forward to seeing you all very soon! Today we took pictures of wild gorillas…" Sophie and Tommy's imaginations ran wild as they pictured Leo and Rosey surrounded by huge, terrifying gorillas.

Sophie and Tommy gasped and held hands, nervously.

"But they were very friendly, and they even introduced us to their babies," Leo said, and as Sophie and Tommy "saw" the scene, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"But, it only made us miss you guys more. We can't wait to tell you all about it when we get back! We'll make sure to write you all again next week. With all our love, Leo and Rosey."

Sophie and Tommy giggled happily, both pleased as punch to get the email they'd been anticipating.

"Well, next time we'll have to share it will all the other babies too, won't we?" Didi asked, kissing the two of their heads.

* * *

The next week, all of the kids were playing in the living room when Didi came in holding a brown box and a piece of paper. "Look what just arrived for everybody," Didi said, smiling, and sitting the box down on the ground.

Angelica and Susie reached the box first. Angelica made sure to shove Chuckie out of the way much to his dismay. Sophie helped him up off the ground, and he blushed a little in gratitude. Angelica and SSusie ripped open the box with excitement.

"Oh, _Wow_!" cried Angelica, her eyes wide in awe.

"Neat!" said Susie, pulling out a yellow T-shirt that said, "Wildlife Adventures Magazine," with a picture of a puffin on it.

Angelica pulled out a dark green T-shirt with the same writing and a picture of a baby lepord on it. Phil and Lil pulled out dark blue, and dark pink shirts with pictures of baby zebras on it, Sophie and Kimi each got a tourquoise T-shirt with a picture of a flamingo, Tommy had a red T-shirt with a picture of a toucan, and Dil had an orange T-shirt with a picture of a baby monkey on it. All the babies were ecstatic as the struggled to put on their T-shirts at once.

"We hope you guys like the shirts, we have so many exciting stories to tell you, but we'll write more next week. Love, Leo and Rosey," Didi read, chuckling at the children's excitement over their gifts.

"Oh, boy! Next week can't come fast enough!" Susie cried.

The following week, the babies crowded around Didi, all of them wearing their Wildlife Adventures T-shirts, eagerly listening to Didi read the exciting email. Actually, Leo could have just written one word in the email and the kids would have been satisfied. Especially Sophie. As much as she loved being with her family and new friends, she knew with each new email, it meant they were that much closer to coming back to her.

The week after, the babies were wearing their T-shirts again as they listened to Didi read. They gasped and clapped as she read the mail. Leo always had the best and most exciting stories to tell, and they loved it.

* * *

The next week, another package arrived for them, and they couldn't be happier with their toy cameras they received.

Each week that passed, the babies grew more and more excited as they crowded around Didi as she read the emails and showed them pictures.

Back at the Carmichael's house one day, Susie raced up to her mother, Lucy. Susie was wearing her T-shirt again over her dress, and her toy camera was strapped around her shoulder. "Mommy, it's Friday! Can I go to Tommy's house? Please, please, _please_?"

"Sure honey, but what's the rush?" Lucy asked, a little surprised at her daughter's sense of urgency.

"Mo-_om_," Susie groaned, as if she couldn't believe her mother didn't already know the reason. "It's _Friday_! Miss Rosey and Mister Leo write us an email every single Friday! Every. Single. Friday! And hey, did you know that a three toed sloth sleeps 12 hours a day? And a toucan has four different colors on its beak? And- "

"Alright, okay," Lucy said, laughing. "I get it, I get it. Sure, you can go. I look forward to hearing what exciting things they've got to say, this week!"

The babies were playing a noisy, exciting game inside the playpen. Phil, Lil, Chuckie, and Kimi were crawling around, growling and howling, and Tommy and Sophie had their cameras and T-shirts on, ready for anything.

"Come on, Rosey, let's take some adventurous pictures for our adventurous…adventures!" Tommy said, doing his best to imitate Leo's accented voice.

"Okie-dokie, Leo. I'm not 'ascared, are you?" Sophie said, seriously.

"Not a chance!" Tommy said, holding his camera up and taking pretend photos of the wild animals.

Kimi suddenly stopped growling. "Hey, you guys. I was just thinkin'. Does Sophie _really _hafta go back to Australeea?"

Chuckie, Phil and Lil also stopped growling, too.

"Oh, no," Chuckie groaned, sadly. "I try not to think about that. It just makes me sad."

"Me too," Lil sniffed. "I don't wants her to go away."

"But, I _gots_ to go," Sophie said, smiling a little. "I really miss my mommy and daddy, and I miss my old house, and my old toys, and my old bestest friend. Her name's Annie. But, I really like you guys too, and Kimi, you're my bestest friend here. Um...but you guys can come visit me when I leave!"

"Really?" Phil asked. "We can come all the way to Australee? Wow, that's gonna be so neat!"

Sophie got excited. "Yeah! You can meet my house, and my toys, and my backyard, and my friends!"

"But, I don't wants you to go," Kimi said, sadly. "Then I wont have a bestest friend no more."

Sophie smiled. "We'll still be bestest friends, Kimi. No worries. And we can send you guys pictures from my mommy and daddy's magazine, and more presents too!"

Tommy had been silent throughout this. He of all people didn't want his cousin to return back. "I wonder how much more time you gots here, anyways." He tried to make his voice as positive and cheerful as he could, but he knew he wasn't fooling anyone.

"I dunno," said Sophie, quietly. "But, Aunt Didi has started puttin' my clotheses and things back in my suitcase. So…I think it's almost time. I...I'm really gonna miss all you guys."

Susie and Angelica both burst through the front door, excitedly, and ran to the babies. They were oblivious to their foul moods because the two of them were so excited and hyper.

"Aunt Didi, Aunt Didi!" Angelica yelled. "Do we gots an email, yet? We're about to explode!"

Didi came in, holding a tray of cookies. She set them down, and the babies all grabbed them hungrily. "I'm afraid not, Angelica. Not yet. We usually already have it by now, though. Oh well, maybe they'll write us tomorrow, or Sunday. You never know."

Sophie stopped eating and frowned upon hearing the email was delayed.

* * *

Later that night, Sophie was laying awake in her crib. Her two-pieced pajamas had glow in the dark stars and glitter on it. They were her favorite pajamas that her parents had bought in Prague many months ago. Sophie was making Sprinkles do a funny dance as she lay awake, thinking. "Hey, Tommy?" She said quietly, not wanting to wake up Dil.

Tommy yawned from across the room. "Yeah?"

"Um...why don't you think my mommy and daddy wroted us a email today, like they were 'apposed to?" Sophie sat up in her bed.

Tommy sat up in his bed also, and looked at his cousin. "Aw, don't worry, Sophie. I bet ya they just gots too busy having adventures to send us a mail today."

Sophie was silent, her big eyes filled with worry.

"Just wait, I'm sure next week we'll have a super duper long letter, you'll see!" Tommy said, enthusiastically.

* * *

The next week, the babies were again dressed in their T-shirts, and when Angelica and Susie eagerly asked if they had a mail, Didi shook her head, frowning.

The same thing happened the week after that, and the week after that, making Sophie all the more sad and upset. She had never been so scared or worried in her life.

"What are we gonna do, you guys?" Chuckie asked. "Sophie's mommy and daddy forgotted all about us!"

"They didn't forgetted us, Chuckie," Kimi said, reassuringly, glancing at Sophie. Kimi could tell her hew bestest friend was upset, and she didn't want to make it worse.

"Oh yeah? Then why haven't they sended us anymore e-mailies?" Lil asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Sophie looked absolutely heartbroken after hearing everything her friends were saying. "Maybe you guys are right. Maybe my mummy and daddy really _did_ forget all about me. Maybe...maybe they founded a nice little baby aminal to be their baby instead of _me_!" Sophie's eyes began to fill with tears at the thought of a baby monkey taking her place in her family.

Tommy gasped and put his hand on Sophie shoulder. "Oh, it's not true, Sophie. Your mommy and daddy loves you. You're better than some dumb old aminal, anyway!"

The doorbell rang then, and without waiting for an invite, Betty, Chas and Kira came in, each as out-of-breath as the next.

"Sorry we're late, Deed!" Betty called loudly, cupping her hands over her mouth for greater effect. "We were out looking for Howard some gym equipment. Took longer than usual, because we had to look for kids-sized!"

Didi entered the living room to greet her guest, but she was in no cheerful mood. Her friends noticed immdietely, and it concerned them.

"Didi, what's wrong?" Kira asked, worriedly. "You look dreadful!"

Didi glanced at the babies, who were now standing around then, their ears perked up. Didi pulled the adults into the kitchen out of ear-shot. Didi wrung her hands, nervously before she spoke. "I'm just so worried about Leo and Rosey. They haven't written us in almost a month! I just have a terrible feeling that something isn't right."

The babies, being as sly as they were, had slowly crept in and were listening to the conversation anyway.

"I mean," Didi continued, "what if something horrible has happened to them? They're supposed to be back next week!" She sat down at the table, slowly.

Betty was more optimistic as she put her hand on Didi's shoulder. "Oh, don't worry, Deed. Didn't you say your brother-in-law was a big jokester? Maybe it's some kind of practical joke or something?"

Chas smiled a little, always unsure of the right things to say in situations like this. "Maybe they're...just planning a big surprise."

Didi looked at Chas, sadly. "But, Chas, surely they would write to their only daughter, right?"

None of the adults could think of an arguement to Didi's statement. Sophie stood away from her friends, sucking her thumb and tightly clutching Sprinkle's ear. None of the other babies could think of an arguement either, which only worried her more.

* * *

The next week, on the day of Rosey and Leo's scheduled arrival, Sophie sat beside her suitcase, surrounded by her friends. Didi had gone ahead and prepared everything with optimism just as everyone had suggested, even preparing a welcome home party just to get into the spirit of things. Didi did have a scolding speech prepared in the back of her for her sister and brother-in-law about taking a "practical joke" too far, though. Although truthfully, she was just looking forward to seeing them again.

Chuckie sighed, heavily. "Y'know, it's just not gonna be the same around here anymores."

Phil and Lil sighed also, putting their chins in their hands. "You said it."

Tommy and Kimi were obviously the most sad out of bunch. Tommy was losing his cousin again, and Kimi was losing her first bestst friend.

"I'm gonna miss havin' a bestest friend," Kimi mumbled. "It was the bestest thing in the whole wild world!"

Tommy took a deep breath to stop himself from crying. "And _I'm_ gonna miss havin' a big cousin who's so nice as you, Sophie. All I gots is _Angelica_," he said, glumly.

Dil had been angrily burbling all morning, equally as sad as the rest of them. His favorite thing about his cousin was getting hugs from her, and he would miss them a lot.

Sophie smiled a little. As sad as she truly was, she couldn't wait to see her parents again. "Don't be sad, you guys. I'm gonna miss you too, and Aunt Didi and Uncle Stu, 'acourse, but I _pinky_ promise you can come visit me, okay? And I'll send you _lots_ of presents!" She giggled and looked at the door, excitedly. "I just can't_ wait_ to see my mummy and daddy again! I'm gonna give them the biggest, most squeeziest hugs in the whole wild _world_!"

Phil and Lil giggled, suddenly brightening. Sophie's sunny disposition could cheer up even the gloomiest of moods in a heartbeat.

"Yeah! I can't wait to hear about all their adventures!" Lil giggled.

Susie and Angelica walked into the room with the babies, both still clad in their shirts and cameras. They had barely taken them off since they had recieved them.

"I bet ya Miss Rosey took a _bajillion_ pictures," Angelica said.

"I bet ya she took _two_bajillion!" Susie added.

Tommy giggled, too. "I just wants my Aunt Rosey to gimme a kiss on my nose again. It tickles!"

Didi, Stu, Chas and Kira walked into the room at the time, almost as excited as the children were.

Betty chuckled. "I'm dying to meet these two after hearing Susie and Angelica rave about them so much. They sound like absolute superstars."

Susie and Angelica turned around without missing a beat. "They _are_!"

"Looks like Sophie's getting all ready to go, there, huh?" Chas commented with a smile, seeing Sophie sitting atop her suitcase.

Kimi frowned and sat down next to Sophie, and sighed heavily.

"Oh, I think Kimi's not so enthusiastic about the idea," Kira said, gently. "I bet it will be difficult for her to say goodbye."

"Don't worry, Kimi-chan. We'll see Sophie again, don't you worry," Kira said, gently.

Didi hadn't spoken much during the time. Her nerves were too shot. She nervously checked her watch. "Okay, everybody. They should be arriving any minute, now."

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. In the blink of an eye, Sophie bolted up on top of her suitcase and struggled to open the door. She pulled and pulled as hard as she could, trying to open the door.

"Come in!" Didi called, a huge grin on her face. She knew Sophie couldn't wait any longer, so she wanted to make it as soon as possible.

Sophie's floppy hat fell over one of her eyes, and she tumbled backwards onto the ground. Sophie was quite clumsy, so she was used to falling over things. She gasped in shock when she saw the two people who were standing in the doorway, though. They were definitely _not_ her mommy and daddy. Sophie gaped at them, wide-mouthed. Standing in front of them was a man and a woman. The woman was holding a brown paper bag in her hand, but neither of them were wearing smiles on their faces.

The woman forced a smile at Sophie and bent down to her level, preparing to speak to her. "Hello, there, honey."

Sophie gasped and ran towards the shelter of her aunt Didi. She hid behind her legs, nervously.

"How can I help you?" Didi asked curiously. "We're kind of expecting some very important company."

The man cleared his throat, honestly unsure of how to handle the news they had to break to the family. "Yes, Ma'am. Are you Rosalie Kerpacketer Bennett's sister?"

Didi the color fade from her face as she gasped. She was unable to speak, she just nodded her head, putting her hand to her mouth in shock. She barely heard the words which were spoken by the two strange people standing in her living room. Sophie listened intently and heard every word, though they seemed jumbled together once they sunk in. Something about an accident...bad conditions...the medics did everything they could, but...

Sophie didn't stay to listen to anymore. She just couldn't. Her eyes filled with hot, angry tears and she rushed off quickly, dragging Sprinkles by its ear. Sophie rushed into the living room and hid herself halfway under the reclining chair, her feet sticking out. She buried her face into Sprinkles's soft, furry tummy, and cried into it, her little heart completely broken.

Dil was babbling in his car seat, but stopped suddenly when he heard Sophie's soft whimpers. "Soapy?" He said, nervously glancing at his cousin. "Soapysoapysoapy?"

Didi entered the living room in search of her niece. Her eyes were red and puffy, but she knew she had to try to maintain composure for the sake of Sophie. She saw the sad little baby sticking halfway out from under the armchair. Didi gently took Sophie by her waist and pulled her out, and sat down beside her on the sofa.

Sophie's eyes brimmed with fresh tears, and she hugged Sprinkles close to her. She looked up at Didi, sadly. "Mama," she whimpered, through tears. "Dada."

"I know, sweetie, I know," Didi said, hugging Sophie close to her. "It's so hard, but we'll get through it, okay? We _will_." She stood up, holding Sophie as tightly as she could before walking back to the others. "Somehow, we'll get through it."

Didi had listened to what the man and woman had discussed after the terrible news, and she was determined to see it through.

Didi hugged Sophie close to her."Mr. and Mrs. Pickles, are you absolutely sure you are okay with taking full guardianship over Sophie? We do realize it's a tricky thing in such a difficult time."

"Of course we are," Stu said, putting his hand on Didi's shoulder. "There's surely no other way to go about it."

The man cleared his throat. "Actually, Mr. Pickles. Sophie has _another_ set of relatives we've located who live in Australia. They hail from her father's side. Apparently, they're estranged from the rest of the family."

Sophie gasped a little and turned around. This was something even she didn't know about

"Perhaps...perhaps back with these relatives in would be a better place for her? Maybe she would be better suited there," the woman said.

"_No_!" Chuckie yelled angrily, stomping his foot down onto the ground in an angry fit. The other babies couldn't agree more with their friend's answer.

"I couldn't agree more, Chuckie," Didi said, as Sophie gripped her tightly. "The only place she's suited for is right here with _us_."

Sophie sucked her thumb, glancing at the two strange people. She still held onto Didi as tightly as she could.

"Maybe you're right," the woman said, smiling a little at Sophie. "We're so very sorry for your loss, but we wanted to make sure we delivered what needed to be delivered on behalf of the company."

Sophie was in too much of shock to listen to anything else, so she covered her eyes with one of Sprinkles's ears. The rest of the day went by in a blur, and Sophie couldn't remember a thing that happened after that moment. She knew her friend's had offered condolences as best they could, and even Angelica was in shock,unable to stop even herself from crying. It was something they all would need time to adjust to.

* * *

Later that night, Sophie was sitting on the floor of Tommy and Dil's room. She and Tommy were quietly stacking blocks on top of each other. Neither one of them spoke at first, they just played almost robotically.

Sophie sighed sadly after a moment as she stacked a block. "What am I gonna do, Tommy? I think I'm gonna be sad _forever_!"

Tommy smiled a little. "I just metted them, and I miss them, too. But don't worry, Sophie. You'll always have me and Dilly. We'll help you no be sad forever. I promise!"

Sophie smiled and threw the blocks away. She jumped up and hugged Tommy. "Thanks, Tommy!"

Didi came into the room at that moment, carrying the brown paper bag which had been brought to them.

Sophie and Tommy turned to her as she sat down beside them. Didi gulped and opened the bag. Both Sophie and Tommy were curious as to what was inside, as neither of them had a clue.

Didi smiled a little, and pulled out a little wooden plaque. "Sophie, your mommy and daddy," she paused and sighed. "They were going to give this to you when they got back. It was with some of their belongings they had taken with them. They also wrote you a little letter." Didi took out a folded piece of paper, ready to read it. Sophie put her thumb in her mouth, her eyes becoming droppy. Tommy layed down on his stomach, and Sophie layed down ontop of him like a pillow, her chin in her arms on his back. They were both ready to listen.

Didi smiled at the two children and began to read. Sophie closed her eyes, and imagined her father's voice reading the letter.

"_To our sweet little Sophie. We had this very special present made for you, because we know this is your very favorite poem_."

Tommy shut his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly, with Sophie following soon after him. Stu entered carrying Dil, who was quietly snoring as well.

"_We used to recite this to you every single night before you went to sleep_," Rosey's voice seemed to say. "_So you'd have sweet dreams and never feel scared. We thought you could share it with Tommy and Dil, too_."

Didi picked up Sophie first and placed her in her crib, and then picked Tommy up and put him in his bed. Then she kissed both their heads, and left the room. Sophie dreamed a very animated dream with she, Tommy, and Dil as characters while her parents' voices read the poem in her mind.

"_The story of Wynken,Blynken and Nod_," Rosey's voice read in Sophie's dream. "_Wynken, Blynken, and Nod one night, sailed off in a wooden shoe. Sailed on a river of crystal light, into a sea of dew_."

Sophie dreamed that she, Tommy, and Dil were sailing into the sky in their own wooden shoe.

"_Where are you going, and what do you wish_?" The old moon asked the three," Leo's voice said, as Tommy, Sophie, and Dil sailed past the bright yellow moon.

"_We have come to fish for the herring fish that live in this beautiful sea;Nets of silver and gold have we_!" _said Wynken, Blynken, And Nod_," Rosey's voice said, as Sophie and Tommy giggled, and Dil reached out for the twinkling stars.

"_The old moon laughed and sang a song, ss they rocked in the wooden shoe,And the wind that sped them all night long, ruffled the waves of dew_," Leo's voice said.

"_The little stars were the herring fish that lived in that beautiful sea. Now cast your nets wherever you wish, never afeard are we," So cried the stars to the fishermen three:Wynken, Blynken, And Nod,_" Rosey said, as Sophie and Tommy caught fish after fish, and Dil sputtered and giggled.

"_All night long their nets they threw to the stars in the twinkling foam, then down from the skies came the wooden shoe, bringing the fishermen home_," Rosey said, as Sophie's dream faded, and she was back in her own bed, and Rosey and Leo were standing over her as she grinned up at them.

"'_T'was all so pretty a sail it seemed, as if it could not be, and some folks thought 't was a dream they 'd dreamed of sailing that beautiful sea_," Leo said, bending down and kissing Sophie on her cheek.

"_But, I shall name you the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, And Nod_," Rosey said, kissing Sophie also, and shutting off the light.

"_Wynken and Blynken are two little eyes, and Nod is a little head,and the wooden shoe that sailed the skies is a wee one's trundle-bed_," said Leo, softly, smiling at Rosey and kissing her forehead, too.

Sophie slowly closed her eyes, a smile still on her face as she looked up at her parents.

Didi smiled mistfully as she looked at the three babies sleeping around the room. She glanced at the plaque and placed it near Sophie's crib on a little dresser, where the magazine Leo had given Tommy was framed and standing.

"_So shut your eyes while mother sings, of wonderful sights that be, and you shall see the beautiful things as you rock in the misty sea_," Rosey's voice said.

"Where the old shoe rocked the fishermen three: Wynken, Blynken, And Nod," Didi finished, quietly, wiping away a tear from her eye. She took one look at Sophie, who was sleeping soundly, her thumb in her mouth and arm wrapped around Sprinkles, then shut off the light and closed the door.

* * *

**Well there ya have it. As you can see, Sarah's name has been changed to Sophie. That has always been my go-to name (obviously) and I think it flows a little better. Anyway, when I have time, I'm going to be deleting and editing my other Rugrats stories as I previously stated. Before. :) So, if you liked the story, please review! Thank you! :) **


End file.
